Is Search Engine Optimization an effective Internet Marketing strategy?

Is Search Engine Optimization an effective Internet Marketing strategy?

As a small business owner looking to build an effective Internet marketing strategy, you must tailor your website to the algorithms search engines use to rank websites. This is done through search engine optimization, or SEO, a powerful way to increase inbound leads, grow your business, and bring you the confidence you need to compete in today’s challenging online world. Long gone are the days when all it took was stuffing a website full of keywords. Today’s search technology demands sophisticated content creation and distribution, big data analysis, and a thorough understanding of conversion.

Internet Marketing & SEO

SEO may be only one part of your Internet marketing strategy, but it’s the most fundamental one. For decades brands targeted their audiences with crafted messages, using print and mass media to deliver messages they hoped would convince people to buy. Today, it’s about inbound marketing, where the audience is searching the internet for the products and services they need to solve a problem or answer a question.

As the forward drive into the IOT (Internet of Things) age continues, your Internet marketing strategy must also evolve with the times. Otherwise, you risk falling behind the competition, or getting stuck in a marketing rut. Not incorporating SEO as part of your strategy is detrimental to your online success. And, if you’re in an especially crowded or competitive industry, it can be even more difficult to rank without it.

SEO Done Right

SEO is not a static solution – as online behavior and capabilities evolve, the rules constantly change. But there are some core reasons for making it a priority:

• It’s Cost Effective. Unlike pay per click or social media advertising, SEO is typically a fixed-price, less costly service.
• It Produces Results. One study shows that organic search drives 51% of users to websites as opposed to paid search, which drives 10%. Social media drives 5%. It’s true that in the past SEO received bad press, but search engines have gotten far more adept at weeding out the keyword stuffers.
• It Gets You Found. Without a carefully crafted SEO strategy, the chances of your website ranking above the competition is slim. While other methods such as email marketing and social media also deliver decent amounts of traffic, neither of them compare to the ROI of SEO.
• It Drives Your Mobile Game. Searches from mobile devices now outnumber those made from desktops. Being optimized for mobile is essential to your online marketing success. And if your business has a local element, local optimization is key to your overall marketing strategy.
• It Keeps You on Top. If you see your competitors ranking above you in search results, the odds are good it’s because of their SEO efforts. If you want to be in the top three positions, optimization is key.
• It Increases ROI. Websites that rank in the top three position receive 33% of all clicks for a search. Even if you’re currently ranking at positions 6-10 for most of your keywords, just a little optimization can push you up the results page and increase your traffic and conversion rate.

The Bottom Line

Just as every brand is unique, every SEO campaign is different. Whether you own a local brick-and-mortar storefront, or are a rapidly expanding online business, you need an Internet marketing strategy that includes effective SEO. It’s the proven way to connect with your audience and build brand awareness. While you can’t control how prospective buyers search for solutions, you can increase the likelihood of them finding you – and your solutions – through the proper use of SEO.